Travelogue: Keep safe while using a generator

Weekly travel rail, with tips on using a generator while camping, information on the President Obama bust tour, where you can’t hike naked anymore and more.

Travel Tip

Even without an RV, a generator can supply the comforts and necessities of home. Yamaha provides a few guidelines for proper generator operation:

- Never use a generator indoors or in partially enclosed areas. A portable generator uses a combustion engine just like your car, which produces toxic, poisonous carbon monoxide exhaust gases. Set it up outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area away from any car or trailer windows, doors and other air intakes.

- Read the manufacturer's instructions for safe operation prior to use. This booklet comes with your generator. Additional copies are available at your local dealership.

- Keep generators away from fires and never fuel the generator while it's running. Fuel liquids are flammable and dangerous if ingested, so store them far away from your family's common areas and open flames. Fuel can also be sparked by a running generator, so turn off the engine before refueling.

- Use a carbon monoxide detector. Running generators create carbon monoxide, one of the most hazardous side effects of generator use. To be safe, install a carbon monoxide detector in your trailer or, if camping outdoors, keep the generator far away from any tents or enclosed spaces.

- Avoid electric shock. To prevent electric shock, never touch the generator with wet hands. Also, do not operate a generator in rain or snow in order to keep the generator dry.

- Watch out for hot engines and mufflers. Avoid placing flammable materials near the exhaust outlet during operation, and keep any generator at least three feet away from buildings or other equipment to avoid overheating. Always carry the generator by its handles.

-- ARA

Roadside Attractions

What: President Obama bust tour

Where: The South and Midwest, ending at President’s Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

What’s there: Artist David Adickes has made busts of every U.S. president, and his latest – President Barack Obama – will be traveling parts of the U.S. before its official unveiling on July 4. States where the tour will stop include Colorado, Kansas, Illinois and Minnesota. Go to the links below for more information.

More info: www.presidentspark.com; twitter.com/presidentspark

Good to Know

If you’re planning to hike in the Swiss Alps, bring your pants – cantons around the region are cracking down on nude hiking. Appenzell Inner Rhodes recently voted to outlaw the practice, and other cantons are planning to do so as well. The government said the main perpetrators have been German tourists, who hike wearing nothing but socks and shoes.

The List

Popular Science recently released a list of “Geek Getaway” tourist spots to hit this summer. They are:

- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

- Wildlife Research Institute, Ely, Minn.

- Tsunami Research Facility, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore.

- Earthquake Simulators, Buffalo, N.Y., Reno, Nev., and San Diego

- Body Farms, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina

- Alcor Life Extension Foundation (frozen cemetery), Scottsdale, Ariz

- Great Ape Trust, Des Moines, Iowa

- Soudan Underground Laboratory, Mine State Park, Northeastern Minn.

For more information, go to www.popsci.com.

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